Jay William Parsegian and Christina Marie Hill were apparently moving their operation. According to Sergeant Josh Ludtke of the Santa Rosa Police, the couple, along with Jeffrey Allan Ward and Bethany Ann Mallie were trying to check into the Courtyard Marriot Hotel in central Santa Rosa, on Railroad Street. The credit card they presented was reported stolen, and the hotel personnel alerted police.
Officers arrived quickly, before the two couples knew they had been discovered. It was determined that the card had been stolen in a vehicle burglary in Sebastopol just recently. The officers detained the four, and Paresegian tried to claim he was someone else when it was found that he had cards or identification that turned out not to be his. Detectives from the property crimes division were called to take over the investigation.
Courtyard Hotel in Santa Rosa.
Jay Parsegian, 37, has had a history of problems with the law. Records show an arrest back in December of 2007 for possession for sale of a controlled substance, and at that time he already had priors. In 2009 he was charged with providing a controlled substance to a minor.
Later in 2009, in November, he was arrested as part of a group of shoplifters that hit the Napa Premium Outlets stores. He was driving the getaway car as two women, Fawntina Mae Touchstone and Alexandria Paumelia Perkins made off with Coach Leatherware purses valued at $2,000.00. Additional stolen goods were found in the car, along with evidence that the two women were working in concert with Parsegian and Nathan Daniel Arrula on that and other thefts. They were charged with grand theft, possession of stolen property, burglary, and conspiracy.
Parsegian was arrested again in March of 2010 for possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia, including a needle, being under the influence and giving false information to an officer. In 2011 he was charged with failure to appear in court on the previous grand theft and burglary charges.
In this case, detectives found that Parsegian and Hill had been conducting a large scale operation manufacturing fraudulent credit cards, checks, and engaging in identity theft. Equipment and other evidence was found in another hotel room and a storage locker. Jeffery Ward and Bethany Mallie, however, were not found to be involved in that operation. They did, however, both possess narcotics, and were cited and released for that.
Parsegian and Hill were arrested on charges of forgery, possession of equipment to make and traffic counterfeit cards, conspiracy, and identity theft. Parsegian was also charged with probation violations and giving false information to an officer. They were booked into Sonoma County Jail. Detectives say the investigation is ongoing, and anyone with additional information is encouraged to call Detective Holzapfel at 707-543-4092, with the option to remain anonymous.
Read More: Napa Valley Register (2009)
